Virgin Galactic succeeds in touching space

After years of preparation, testing, and tragedy, Virgin Galactic has touched the edge of space. This Thursday in the skies over Mojave, California, the company’s SpaceShipTwo, VSS Unity, was released from its mothership and fired its hybrid rocket engine for a full minute. This propelled pilots Mark “Forger” Stucky and Frederick “CJ” Sturckow at Mach 3 (1,934 knots, 2,225 mph, 3,581 km/h) to an altitude of 51.4 mi (82.7 km) before returning safely to Earth.